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Kelly Leaving at Year's End; Tillerson Breaks Silence; Dolphins Beat Patriots. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired December 10, 2018 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:31:19] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: High drama at a global climate summit after the U.S. sided with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on a landmark climate report. The countries were asked to vote on, quote, welcoming the report, which calls for substantial efforts to avoid disastrous levels of global warming. Those four nations decided against the measure. They didn't want to welcome it. They said they would only take note of the scientific conclusions.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: French President Emmanuel Macron set to address his nation after another weekend of violent protests. More than 1,200 protesters were taken into custody, with 135 people wounded. Macron plans to meet with business leaders and union officials. Macron's spokeswoman says he wants to hear their voices with the aim of mobilizing them to act to stabilizing the economy.
BERMAN: A Jehovah's Witness house of worship was burnt to the ground in Washington state, which marked the fifth attack targeting the religious group in Washington this year. Federal officials say three other buildings known as the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses have been burned in 2018 and a fourth was hit by gunfire. The ATF says the incidents occurred in close proximity and are believed to be related.
CAMEROTA: All right, CNN has crowned 2018's Hero of the Year. Our Anderson Cooper, along with Kelly Ripa, announced the big winner last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER AND KELLY RIPA, HOSTS, "CNN HERO: AN ALL-STAR TRIBUTE: Dr. Ricardo Pun-Chong.
DR. RICARDO PUN-CHONG, CNN HERO OF THE YEAR: Thank you for my volunteers that help this 10 years at our shelter. Thank you for all the people that knocked the door and give us rice or beans or some money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Dr. Richard Pun-Chong provides free housing, meals, and support for sick children and their families in Peru while they undergo treatment. He said the $100,000 prize will go towards building a new shelter. Thank goodness viewers had to decide because everyone up on that stage
was so impressive, such an angel, so inspirational. I didn't know who was going to win.
BERMAN: No, those were just the ten up on the stage. Then we had these young wonders, these children, who were doing amazing things that put us all to shame.
CAMEROTA: Oh, I grounded my children when I got home because they're not doing any of that.
BERMAN: Deservedly so.
It was amazing.
CAMEROTA: It was wonderful.
BERMAN: All right.
CAMEROTA: And we'll have him on this show to talk more about his mission and just his life.
BERMAN: And how much more he wants to do. It's really great.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BERMAN: So, what's one of the main things you might want if your administration is mired in scandal and controversy? How about a strong chief of staff? Well, the one the president has is now leaving. The guy he wanted wouldn't take the job. So what happens next?
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[06:38:03] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: John Kelly will be leaving -- retire -- I don't know if I can say retiring, but he's a great guy. John Kelly will be leaving at the end of the year. We'll be announcing who will be taking John's place. It might be on an interim basis. I'll be announcing that over the next day or two.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: All right, that was President Trump saying his chief of staff, John Kelly, is out, and job applications are now being accepted. The man who had been widely expected to replace Kelly, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff named Nick Ayers, says no thank you.
Joining us now are CNN's senior political reporter, Nia-Malika Henderson, and CNN's senior political analyst John Avlon.
John, how unusual is that? When the chief of staff job comes knocking, do people often turn it down?
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: When the chief of staff jobs coming knocking, people go a rocking, as no song lyric ever said.
Look, Ayers has been lobbying for this position --
BERMAN: John Sununu, actually, has been saying that constantly.
AVLON: Yes.
BERMAN: Sorry.
AVLON: But that's a New Hampshire thing. It's a deep cut.
BERMAN: Yes.
AVLON: Look, it is surprising that Ayers turned it down. Now, whether this is spin or whether incredibly they could not come to a deal, obviously this is a position that has a great deal of prestige and power, but a massive downside with Donald Trump. And no one's going to -- you know, Trump's going to Trump. And anyone who comes in and thinks they're going to impose new discipline on the president probably is got another thing coming, which is why now that you're looking at the laundry list of folks who may -- the president may be asking, they're apparently having kind of a hard time finding someone who wants to sign up for this duty. And --
CAMEROTA: I have a list of people that are supposedly under consideration.
AVLON: Yes.
CAMEROTA: Congressman Mark Meadows, that's interesting.
BERMAN: Freedom Caucus.
CAMEROTA: I mean, what, would he leave his job as a congressman to be chief of staff?
AVLON: Sure. You leave Congress for chief of staff?
CAMEROTA: You do?
AVLON: Yes.
But what's funny is, I was talking to some long-time Republican Hill staffers, and mentioned the possibility of Meadows, and the response was a spit take (ph).
CAMEROTA: I almost just did one.
AVLON: Yes.
CAMEROTA: OK. There's also Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney.
[06:40:00] BERMAN: And Mnuchin, by the way, people close to Mnuchin are leaking -- literally leaking to CNN that he really would rather not take the job. That he likes where he is. CAMEROTA: Huh.
BERMAN: So that's the situation.
I think this is fascinating because I think if there were ever a time when the president would need a chief of staff to right the ship and organize things, it's now when there's a big scandal and an investigation into your presidency. The guy you have is leaving The guy you want won't take the job. When a 36-year-old person who has been angling for the job reportedly for months all of a sudden won't take it, Nia, that's a sign of trouble.
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: It is a sign of trouble. And it's unclear whether or not the trouble was from the White House, people like Melania Trump, people inside the White House didn't really necessarily want Nick Ayers on the job, or whether it's not -- it's a result of just the chaos swirling around the White House, impeachment talk now coming from some folks on The Hill. And, obviously, there's going to be a new sheriff in town with the House Democrats now in charge and likely all sorts of investigations this White House is going to be facing.
But it is, you know, a testament to this White House, that this is a job, normally an incredibly prestigious job. Normally you would have dozens and dozens of really highly qualified, experienced folks vying for this job. But here, that's not the case. And it is, again, a testament to this White House, a testament to this president. The idea that you can come into this White House and right this ship, remember, John Kelly tried that. He was supposed to be the adult in the room.
That didn't really work out. The president had some of his roughest times as John Kelly was at the helm. So the idea that somebody's going to come in and now really fix things in this White House, you can't do that because Donald Trump is his own chief of staff. He plays all the positions in the White House. So there's not going to be a scenario when somebody comes in and all of a sudden things are going to be different.
CAMEROTA: Well, in the category of there's a tweet for everything, Donald Trump was in 2012 aghast that President Obama had three different chiefs of staff in three years. Here's what he tweeted. Three chiefs of staffs in less than three years of being president, part of the reason why Barack Obama can't manage to pass his agenda.
Well, now, President Trump would have three in two years.
AVLON: Three in two years. And, actually, did a little homework on this. Since the chief of staff became a position under Harry Truman, there's never been a president who's had three chiefs of staff in two years. And the Obama stat, beyond the sort of irony of it, you know, Pete Rouse (ph), who came in for three months basically as an interim, you know, basically for the two years, the vast majority of it was actually Rahm Emanuel.
BERMAN: Who was a congressman who left his job to be chief of staff.
AVLON: Yes. True.
CAMEROTA: OK. All right.
BERMAN: Many governors have left their job.
CAMEROTA: You've proven your point.
BERMAN: It's that prestigious.
AVLON: Yes.
BERMAN: You know, I mean, and, again, I --
CAMEROTA: Sounds like you're angling for it.
AVLON: Wow.
BERMAN: Yes, that's all I need at this point right now.
But, no, look, I honestly -- the idea that he is sitting here in December now without a chief of staff and the job's got to be filled, you know, Nia, I think it's really telling about where this White House is. And John was talking about people up on The Hill not being thrilled with the idea of Mark Meadow. We're hearing from Republicans on The Hill who are more unsettled than they've been period about where this White House is and its overall understanding of the gravity of the situation it faces.
HENDERSON: Yes, the idea that this White House might just be prepared to wing it over the next couple of months, when you've got a Mueller investigation that's ongoing. Who knows when that's going to end? When you've got this incoming House Democratic caucus that's prepared to look into this White House. This has been a White House that never has been very strategic, never very good in terms of communication or following through on a plan, coming up with a plan and then following through with it.
So the idea that now they've got this situation where they can't really seem to attract a candidate to this chief of staff position, somebody who would be the point person in many ways for any number of issues, dealing with Congress, dealing with the kind of communications part of the Mueller probe. It's telling and it's worrisome.
I think if you were a Republican going into 2020, going into this very tumultuous time, for a White House that already has had a tumultuous time. In many ways the best days for this White House might be behind them. It's not likely that there's going to be much in the way of legislation. There will likely be some movement, obviously, on the judicial front. Judges will be empaneled and all those sorts of things.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
HENDERSON: But other things, it just looks like it's going to be more chaos for the next two years. CAMEROTA: John, I want to get to what Rex Tillerson did over the weekend. Someone slipped him some truth serum and he spoke quite candidly about his impressions of working for President Trump. So here's Rex Tillerson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REX TILLERSON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: The president would say, well, here's what I want to do and here's how I want to do it. And I'd have to say to him, well, Mr. President, I understand what you want to do, but you can't do it that way. It violates the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: I mean that was --
BERMAN: It -- among other things.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
AVLON: It's just -- among the many problems here, he kept asking him to break rules.
CAMEROTA: Details. But is he -- I mean, look, a lot of people have said why now? Why is Rex Tillerson speaking out? I mean I think it's just because he was ready and he had a forum.
[06:45:03] Is there any other agenda, you think, that why Rex Tillerson's suddenly so publically --
AVLON: I wouldn't overestimate the strategy behind the timing. But it clearly is.
He has been pretty tight-lipped and this was an unvarnished look at a president that dovetails and doubles down in a lot of descriptions we've heard of this present from the people who work closest with him. It does not breed respect and loyalty. The unvarnished truth seems to be deeply unflattering.
And just to hear the former of secretary of state -- by the way, didn't make a lot of news because Friday was such a big news day. Normally that would be, you know, front page stuff. He said, the president kept asking me to break the law. That's nuts.
CAMEROTA: Well, the president fired back with a tweet. He says, Mike Pompeo is doing a great job -- Tillerson's replacement.
AVLON: Right.
CAMEROTA: I'm very proud of him. His predecessor, Rex Tillerson, didn't have the mental capacity needed. He was dumb as a rock and I couldn't get rid of him fast enough. He was lazy as hell. Now it's a whole new ballgame, great spirt at state!
BERMAN: I will note, if he's calling his secretary of state dumb as a rock, we know the secretary of state -- HENDERSON: Yes.
BERMAN: Called the president a moron.
HENDERSON: A moron, yes. Yes.
BERMAN: So --
CAMEROTA: So this is the high level debates (ph) that we've been having.
BERMAN: Maybe they weren't in a book club together. Yes, that book club was not (INAUDIBLE).
CAMEROTA: This -- the (INAUDIBLE) is not calling for (INAUDIBLE).
BERMAN: Nia, you want to weigh in on --
HENDERSON: No, yes. I mean, yes, this is where we are. And I think this is -- there's more to come. I mean you see him praising now Pompeo in that tweet. Who knows how long that will last. I mean he's praised a lot of people and then he's turned against them.
Again, I think, if you look at one of the reasons that -- if you're thinking about going into this white House, all of this chaos, on the count of pettiness of this White House is a real reason to stay away, as well as the idea that a lot of the folks have gone in there. Typically you think of a chief of staff job or any sort of administration job as a way to elevate your profile, elevate your career. Also do public service. And here you see a lot of people going into the White House and leaving with tarnished reputations.
BERMAN: Which is why Nick Ayers, perhaps, who wants to have a career in politics, maybe didn't want to take that job.
All right, Nia-Malika Henderson, John Avlon, thank you very, very much.
I have never seen a more amazing (INAUDIBLE) play in football.
CAMEROTA: Neither have I.
BERMAN: Nor have I ever seen one that punched me in the gut quite this hard and then stomped on my head afterwards.
The "Bleacher Report" is next.
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[06:51:44] CAMEROTA: All right, we have a sports moment so stunning even I am excited about it. The Dolphins shocked the Patriots with an unbelievable final play.
Andy Scholes has more in our "Bleacher Report."
Wowza (ph). ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Alisyn and
John.
You know, as much as you don't want to say it, John, this was one of the best finishes to a game in NFL history.
BERMAN: Absolutely.
SCHOLES: You know, they're calling -- yes, they're calling it the Miami Miracle everywhere outside of New England. There it's being called lateral damage. But one thing's for sure, Dolphins and Patriots fans are going to remember this one for a very long time.
Miami was down five, seven seconds left. They go with the old hook and ladder play. And they're originally going to get it to running back Kenyan Drake. He's going to make a couple moves and then get to the outside. The only man left to beat was Gronk, who was on the field for a potential Hail Mary. Why, I'm not sure, because Ryan Tannehill wasn't going to throw that ball 75 yards. Gets in for the touchdown. Dolphins shocked the Patriots 34-33. And the Miami Miracle are keeping the Dolphins playoff hopes alive.
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ROB GRONKOWSKI, PATRIOTS TIGHT END: The way they earned it, I mean, it sucked. I mean I never really been a part of anything like that. I feel like it's going to test our character big time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Yes, it was a rough day for Patriots' fans.
And, John, just want to thank you for tweeting, I'm OK, just wanted everyone to know. I was worried about you there for a second. But did the TV make it out intact? The living room? Is everything OK at home?
BERMAN: I didn't want anyone to worry. I just didn't want anyone to worry. I had to watch the play again because I couldn't believe --
CAMEROTA: You couldn't get your mind around what just happened.
BERMAN: Well, I -- it just doesn't happen.
SCHOLES: Yes.
CAMEROTA: But, I mean, why was Gronk out there on the field? Was that a mistake?
BERMAN: Bad coaching. It was bad coaching.
CAMEROTA: Bad coaching.
SCHOLES: Yes, it's bad coaching.
BERMAN: It was bad execution. It was bad everything.
CAMEROTA: I mean I don't know anything, but it didn't look like he could maneuver that well.
BERMAN: No, he's like --
SCHOLES: The chances of that play working is always less than 1 percent. And it just happened to happen to your Patriots.
BERMAN: Thank you, Andy. I -- yes, I was aware of that. I appreciate it. Thanks for being with us.
CAMEROTA: All right, meanwhile, Robert De Niro making another surprise appearance as Special Counsel Robert Mueller on "Saturday Night Live." Here are your late night laughs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you hear that, Don? There's something in my closet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, buddy, nothing in the closet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Mueller, people say you're the worst thing to ever happen to my dad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, Eric, getting elected president was the worst thing that ever happened to your dad.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is now calling for an end to the Mueller probe, which I've to admit, it's worth a shot. I mean, you don't want to go to jail and then find out you could have just called it off the whole time.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's how awful it is to work in the Trump White House, by the way. John Kelly spent 40 years in the Marines, he did three tours in Iraq and he couldn't finish one tour with Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: When you put it that way.
BERMAN: Yes.
That was Eric Trump in bed, you know, with Robert Mueller there. It was Eric and Donny going to sleep reading bedtime stories.
[06:55:04] CAMEROTA: That was very entertaining.
BERMAN: Very entertaining.
All right, "The Washington Post" reports Russians made contact with at least 14 Trump campaign officials or associates. This as federal prosecutors implicate President Trump in federal crimes. So, what's next?
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This investigation is now starting to put the president in serious legal crosshairs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president has denied some of these allegations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They would be impeachable offenses. Whether they are important enough to justify an impeachment is a different question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The optics are bad, but that doesn't mean there's been any illegality or any criminal conduct.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: I have a lot of admiration for General Kelly. It's a hard and difficult job. And obviously he'll be missed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lock-down tough general didn't work. I like the idea of someone who is a politician.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When there is no plan whatsoever for how to respond to Mueller's report, (INAUDIBLE) one of Trump's choices, is that the kind of situation I want to walk into?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
[07:00:00] BERMAN: Good morning, and welcome to your NEW DAY.
So it isn't clear that the president, any president, has been in a situation like this before.
